Summer Snack and Beverage Pairings

You’re just a few hours into your road trip when it hits you: hunger.

You stay calm, of course, because you packed plenty of healthy snacks.

The first delicious, salty crunch of your Hawaiian Hulapeno Kettle Style Potato Chips makes your brain light up like the Vegas strip. Has anything been this good…ever? Then, as your fingers graze the bottom of the nearly empty bag, you realize you have nothing to drink.

The summer sun beats down. Your mouth gets drier and drier. You wonder if you could actually steam vegetables in your sweltering car. You smack your lips together as you imagine drinking from a fresh mountain stream.

Eventually, you pull into a charming gas station and settle for chlorine-tinged water. It tastes like plastic.

Are you ready to get fancy? Forget boring bottled water or chemical-laden diet soda, and get ready to spend the summer months enjoying the perfect pairings on this list.

Hawaiian Hulapeno Kettle Style Potato Chips

Nothing crushes cravings like a big, hearty…CRUNCH. These way-above-average potato chips deliver a king sized crunch and the bold flavor to match. Infused with zesty jalapeños and kettle-cooked in the Hawaiian tradition, they’re designed to satisfy. (And maybe their alchemical mix of natural ingredients and healthy oils is the secret to those hula-ready waistlines.)

Pair withCelsius Naturals Strawberries & Cream

A flavorful gulp of strawberries and cream will cut through, and compliment, the jalapeño taste dancing on your tongue. Even better, this zero-sugar Celsius beverage totes benefits beyond delectability. Several university studies have found that Celsius’s top-secret formula turns up the metabolism, blasts fat, and delivers a boost of energy. Cheers!

Marlo’s Bake Shop Original Biscotti

Italians know a little something about pleasure, and their favorite cookie, biscotti, is no exception. These double-baked treats are sweet without being cloying, indulgent without being sinful. You can eat them without a hint of guilt; Marlo’s Bake Shop is dedicated to procuring the finest non-GMO ingredients, including premium dark chocolate and California walnuts.

Pair withCelsius Originals Cola

It’s hard to deny, cookies and soda will always be a winning combination. Now you can beat the system with a soda that actually does your body good. This Celsius drink tastes like classic cola, but it has lots of beneficial ingredients, including green tea extract, a known metabolic booster, and guarana seeds packed with natural caffeine.

Nature’s Bakery Stone Ground Whole Wheat Fig Bar

Lightly sweetened whole-wheat dough hugged a rich, dulcet fig, and this match made in heaven was born. These bars may look a lot like a certain cookie from your childhood, but they’re so much better in every way. Nature’s Bakery uses stone ground wheat, so you get lots of grainy goodness, and they don’t use genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or high-fructose corn syrup. Oh, and did we mention they’re certified vegan?

Pair withDry Sparkling Blood Orange

If the rich flavors of your Stone Ground Whole Wheat Fig Bar transported you to a Mediterranean villa, don’t worry—you don’t have to leave just yet. Pop open a Dry Sparkling Vanilla Bean. The smooth, aromatic vanilla flavors are a blissful complement to your decadent bar…and it’s only 60 calories.

Ocean’s Halo Maui Onion Roasted Seaweed

If you’re looking to expand your snack horizons, then these marine-plant treats were made for you. They’re light and umami with a bit of sweet, oniony goodness, and they have a nutritional scorecard your body will thank you for. Each serving comes packed with iodine and fatigue-fighting vitamin B12. As an added bonus, the snacks come in a 100% compostable tray.

Pair withDRY Sparkling Ginger

You might be tempted to follow the onion flavor with some sugary mints, but hey, you can do better than that. Wash down your seaweed snack with something more sophisticated, something like Dry Sparkling Ginger. The kick of ginger will annihilate any residual flavor loitering in your mouth, and you’ll get to enjoy the pleasures of an Italian soda for only 45 calories.

Original Flavor Chomps Snack Sticks

We know you broke up with a certain Jim long ago, but it’s time to give a different jerk a chance. Chomps makes jerky fit to bring home to Momma. Their 100% grass-fed beef sticks provide everything you need and desire in a snack, and they don’t come with excess baggage like synthetic ingredients or antibiotics. One stick doles out 9 grams of protein and a mesquite flavor redolent of summertime grilling.

Pair withPlum Jasmine Blossom Water

Sometimes opposites make the best couples. Case in point—Chomps Jerky and Plum Jasmine Blossom Water. Mouthwatering plum stands up to the jerky’s spice while jasmine essence lightens up any lingering garlicky aromas, so your friends won’t be forced to enjoy your snack’s appetizing bouquet.

Wise Sea Salt Popcorn

Your snack should never weigh you down. Kissed with sea salt, these air-popped morsels send hunger packing, but they’re light as air. (We love them for poolside snacking!) You won’t find any gluten, preservatives, MSG, or grams of trans fats lurking in these kernels. Plus, one cup will set you back a mere 47 calories.

Pair withLemon Rose Blossom Water

Tart lemon and aromatic rose will make the light saltiness of the whole grain kernels pop (no pun intended) and turn your no-frills snack into something straight off a tasting menu. Besides, there’s just something impossibly chic about drinking natural rose essence. To top it all off, Lemon Rose Blossom Water is low glycemic and packs only 45 calories per bottle.

Voilà! These pairings should set you up for a scrumptious summer of snacking. They might even impress those friends who are so over wine and cheese matchups.

What are your go-to summer snack/beverage pairings? Let us know in the comments below.

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About SnackNation

SnackNation is a healthy office snack delivery service that makes healthy snacking fun, life more productive, and workplaces awesome. We provide a monthly, curated selection of healthy snacks from the hottest, most innovative natural food brands in the industry, giving our members a hassle-free experience and delivering joy to their offices.